Safari Snorkel DIY installation on GD6 Hilux — step-by-step guide
Running the Land Cruiser 300 for 22 months now, 61500km on the clock including 11 proper off-road trips. Here is my honest take.
The good: the off-road capability straight from factory surprised me. I have done Sani Pass, Matroosberg and multiple Kruger trips without a single mechanical issue. The 2.8L turbodiesel is 9L/100km on tar if you keep it under 120km/h.
The bad: the dealer experience left something to be desired. Also the dealer here in Nelspruit could learn something about customer service, but that is a SA-wide problem not specific to this brand.
Mods I have done: ARB Summit bull bar (R10k fitted), OME BP51 shocks (R15k fitted), MaxTrax recovery boards, and a Engel MR040 fridge. Total spend on mods: around R54k. Worth every cent.
Price paid at my Nelspruit dealer was R680,000 — they threw in a full tank and floor mats. Finance rate was 11.5% over 72 months which is the reality of SA interest rates in 2025.
Would buy it again. Happy to go into detail on any specific aspect.
3 Replies
Have you tried it in high-speed gravel? That is where these bakkies differ most. The GR Sport with the revised calibration is a different vehicle at 100km/h on corrugated gravel compared to the base model.
Interesting points on the dealer experience. I had the same in Limpopo — 11 week wait for a service part that should have been in stock. This is why I budget for a proper extended warranty and use an independent workshop that specialises in 4x4s rather than the franchise dealer.
What suspension are you running now? I have the same setup and am looking at Ironman 4x4 lift kit — around R10k fitted at my local workshop. Keen to know if the ride quality improvement on corrugated gravel roads is as significant as people claim.